Camera-stand.



H. ROTTENBURG.

CAMERA STAND.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25, 19x4.

1 3 8,4 17 Patented May 4, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- Zflibuassas, v Inventor THE NORRIS PETERS 60.,PHO'ra-LITHO.v WASHINGTON. D4 1:.

H. ROTTENBURG.

CAMERA STAND.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25, 1914.

1,138,417. Patented May 4, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- mitnassas, Inventor {fig/W M THE NORRIS PETERS C0,.FHOTO-LITHCL. WASHINGTON. D C

HENRY ROTTENBURG, or CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND.

CAMERA-STAND. 5

V Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed April 25, 1914. Serial No. 834,443. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, HENRY Ro'r'rnn'cone, asubject of. the King of GreatBritain, re-

siding at Cambridge, in the county of Cam-V bridge, England, haveinvented newand useful Improvements in Camera-Stands,"of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to camera stands adapted to be used as walkingsticks when folded, and to be opened out when required to form a camerastand.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a stand ofthistype which will be simple and strong in construction while beingcomparatively light. 1

, Further objects are to construct the stand so that when it is beingused as a walking stick there shall be no stress upon the hinges i ofthe legs; to construct the'hinges so that they will be strong, and canbe tightened up readily whenever requiredato construct the handle sothat itmay serve to support a camera in any required angular position;to form the handle as a convenient. receptacle for a shutter releaseappliance or the like;

ment or base for the camera, said attachment being adapted to be clampedon the handle of the stick, and to be secured in its position ofadjustment in a single clamping operation. e

These and other objects will be apparent from the description whichfollows.-

The invention is illustrated in'the' accompanying drawings whereinFigure 1 shows the appliance complete,

folded up for use as a walking stick. F ig. 2 shows the appliance openedout and inuse as a camera stand. Fig. 3 shows a section on the line A-Bof Fig. 2, looking'upward toward the handle withthe legs opened out. V

Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section on-the line OD of Fig. 3-. Fig. 5shows a detail view of the lower end of the stand when folded for use asa walking stick. Fig. dis

a detail view showing in'section the end of the handle with the capthereof. Fig. 7 is;

V. stud n on one leg, and the other with a cora similar view to Fig. 6showing a modification. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the plate or attachmentfor the camera. Fig. 9 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 10 is an endelevation thereof. Fig. 11 shows a section on the line E-F of Fig. 8.Fig. 12 shows a section similar to that of Fig. 11, illustrating amodification, the top plate being turned through 90 as comparedwith-Fig. 11.

Patented May 4, 1915. I

Referring to the drawings,.a is the handle member which is preferablyformed of aluminium and is in the shape of a crook of cir-' cularcurvature. This handle member is hollow as seen in Figs. 4, 6 and 7,andit is adapted to accommodate the interior thereof any suitableappliance associated with a photographic camera, such for instance as aflexible shutter release appliance.

The handle is closed at its outer end by a cap or lid such as c, Fig. 6,wherein the lid 7 is shown as being hinged at d, andpressed by a spring6 which serves to hold it either in the closed positionorin theopen'position when turned outward through 90. In the modification shownin Fig. 7 a cap 'f'with spring-pressed balls g therein adapted to engagein agroove adjacent to the end of the handle, serves a similar purpose,the said cap being pressed in or pulled out bodily when required.

The handle member a fits into a metallicv legs 2' audit are hinged tothe handle a. The

three legs when folded form a rounded stem for the stick as seen in Fig;1, or when opened out form a camera stand as seen in Fig. 2. Each of thelegs is provided with a spike at its lower end, but the spike Z at thelower end of the leg his made consider ably longer than the spikes atthe ends of the legs 2' and is, so that when the standis in use as awalking stick, the spike Z of the leg it will be the only one whichcomes into contact with a hard ground surface, and any shock from theground will be-transmitted through the rigid leg hto the handle, and notthrough the hinged legs 2' and 7a. In this way the hinges are protectedfrom shock and they consequently last longer. The legs are'held when inthe closed position by suitable catches such as m both pivoted on one ofthe legs, preferably the'leg h, and engaging with studs n, each catch wehaving two notches for instance, one engaging with a and any suitablealternative catch device may be used for holdingthe legs closed.

The legsz' andk are connected to the handle 5 portion a in'the followingmanner z -Platesi and 7c are attached to legs 2'', 7a and projecttherefrom, passing into slots formed in the handle a and sleeve 6,hereintheyareheld by pivots 01 shown in dotted lines in Fig.

3. The angle between the hinges is prefer ably 60 degrees as shown inFig. 3. In order to enable the joints tobe tightened if they tend tobecome loose at, any time, thehandle a is slit longitudinally for ashort, distance in the plane: of thesection line -CD in Fig. 3, that isto say, between the slots in which the plates Z and;z" work, A, screw,

6 witha conical shaped headengagesinthe handle member ain theplane ofthe longi- 5 tudinal slit therein, and' asit is screwedup it serves tospread; apart the two sector-i shaped portions of the handle memberet 7each side of the screwv causingfthem to press against plates 71 andslcthus holdingthemg again securely against lateral; movement in theirslots.

For the purpose ofholdingthe camera on the crook-shaped handleaof; thedevice, an

attachment is usedconstructedasfollows 2"?" 'A circular plate pis,provided connectedby acentral pivottoa second plateg. InFig.

11 the centralfpivot, is, shown. as .a projection, 1- ontheplate ppassing throughacentral aperture inthe plateg, and held by atransggverse pin .9 and a washer t. A transverse, groove or slot,withjundercutedgesis formed in the top .ofthe plate '10,,ai1d, aslidemember a with correspondinglyshaped edges jfits in said groove. Thesides ofthefgroove and of "the slide a are preferablyjinclinedto one"another at an angle, Within the, angle. of

friction, preferably about. 10 asfshown in Fig. 8, in orderhtofacilitate theinsertionof the slide a in the transverse groove, and thegripping thereof in the, groove. when in the correct position. The slidewhas a pin a brace the crook-shaped handle a as indicated in Figs. 1 and2, and-to be clamped in position thereonby a setscrew. On the back ofthe plate 9 ateachside of the frame n rounded shoulder pieces a2 areattached adapted to fit overthe curved surface of the handle a as seenin Fig. 9., When the screw w is tightened it pulls] the frame v downwardover the handle a, while the shoulder pieces :12. press upward the plateg ateach 150 side of the part-attached to the frame 1). The result isthat the plate g'is slightly distorted or curved, and it thus becomesclamped against the back of the plate p, re-

sisting any further or unintentional turning 35 movement. of the plate pon the plate 9.

It will be seen that theattachnient can be clamped in any position atany portion of the crook-shaped handle member ,a so that the camera canbe set at any required angle on the stand, while it can be turned in theplane of turning of the plate 39 to any required position until thescrew to is finally tightenedto its full extent.

In order to hold the slide a when in its mid position a springtstopdevice may be with thatof the .ball 1, so that the ballwill engage inthis recess when the slide a has been pushed-in toits mid position onthe plate p. The ball y willvbe pressed down by the shoulder. of therecess 3 when the slideispressed with suflicient force laterallyin-gremoving it from theplate p.

Itwill be evident that many of the details of construction of the devicecan be modified Without. departing. fromthe scope of the invention ashereinbefore set forth and as defined by the claims.

Having thus described my invention,what l claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters, Patent i 1. A foldingcamera stand adapted to be usedalso as. a walking stick, and comprising ahandle, a leg attachedthereto,two further, legs. with, projections thereon engaging in slotsin the handle portion, pivots-in the handle portion passing through saidprojections and meansv for tightening the joints, comprising memberadapted when turned to engage with a wedging action against faces formedin the two parts of the handle portion separated by a. slot, wherebywhen the member having a wedging action is turned, the two parts of thehandle portion are. separated and are pressed toward the projections onthe legs.

2. A foldingocamera stand adapted to be used also as a walkingstick,andcomprising allandle, one leg rigidly secured to said handle,,two furtherlegs, projections on said legs passing into slots in the handle member,one at each side of a longitudinal cut therein, pivotsfor theprojections of said legs, and a screw with a conical portion adapted toengage in the handle member along the line of the longitudinal out,where-' by. when the screw is tightened the portions of the handlemember between the longitudinal cut and the slots forthe leg projections, are pressed apart to bind said leg projections and to take uplateral looseness.

used also as a walkingstick, and comprising a handle formed as a hollowmember of. crook-shape, legs connected thereto and adapted to be openedout for use as a stand, and a cap on the end of said handle adapted toclose the end thereof and to be opened in order to give access to theinterior.

4:. A folding camera stand adapted to be used also as a walking stick,and comprising a handle formed as a hollow member of crook-shape, legsconnected thereto and adapted to be opened outfor use as astand, a capon the freeend of said handle, ahinge therefor and a spring pressingagainst a portion of the cap adjacent to said hinge, whereby the cap' isheld with a spring action in the closed position.

5. A folding camera stand adapted to be used also as a walking stick,and comprising a handle of crook-shape, legs with means attaching themthereto in such manner that they can be opened out when required, or

kept closed together, and an attachment adapted to fit on the crockhandle and to carry the camera thereon, said attachment including meansfor clamping it securely on the handle and a part for engaging with acamera. j

6. A folding camera stand adapted to be used also as a walking stick,and comprising a handle of crook-shape, legs with means attaching themthereto in such manner that they can be opened out when required, orkept closed together, and an attachment adapted to fit on the crookhandle and to carry the camera thereon, said attachment comprising aplate with means for clamping it in any desired position on the crookhandle, said plate having a transverse undercut slot therein and a slideadapted to be attached to the camera and to engage in the slot in theplate.

7. A folding camera stand adapted to be used also as a walking stick,and comprising a handle of crook-shape, legs with means attaching themthereto in such manner that they can be opened out when required, orkept closed together, and an attachment adapted to fit on the crookhandle and to carry the camera thereon, said attachment comprising aplate with an undercut slot therein, a slide adapted to fit in saidundercut slot, means for holding the slide when in a central position,and a clamp for securing the plate in any desired position on the crook.

'8. A folding camera stand adapted to be used also as a walking stick,and comprising a handle of crook-shape, legs with means attaching themthereto in such manner that they can be opened out when required, orkept closed together, and an attachment adapted to fit on the crookhandle and to carry the camera thereon, said attachment comprising aplate with an undercut transversesloti-n the face thereof, the sides ofwhich approach one another toward one end, a' slide adapted to fit insaid undercut slot and having its sides correspondingly formed, a secondplate and means pivotally connecting'it with the first plate, a loopwith clamping means thereon attached to said second plate and adapted toembrace the crook handle, and two shoulder pieces on the back of saidsecond plate adapted to rest upon the crook of the handle, whereby whenthe clamp is tightened the second plate will be slightly distorted bythe pull of the clamp on the middle thereof and by the thrust ofthe twoshoulder portions, the said distortion serving to clamp the first platetightly against the distorted second plate, holding it against further.pivoting movement. 3

9. In a folding, camera stand, the combination of legs with meanspivotally connecting them together, a crook-shaped member carried bysaid legs and an attachment for the camera adapted to be clamped on saidcrook-shaped member, the attachment comprising a plate, a member adaptedto engage said plate and to be secured to a camera, a second plate atthe back of the firstplate and means pivotally connecting it to saidfirst plate, a frame extending from each side of the second plate andadapted to embrace the crook-shaped member, a screw adapted to engage inthe frame and to clamp against the underside of the crook-shaped member,and shoulders on the back of the second plate, one at each side of saidframe, said shoulders being adapted to rest against the curved surfaceof the crook-shaped member, whereby when the screw is tightened to clampsaid frame on the crook-shaped member, the frame is caused to pulldownward the middle portion of the second plate, while the two end.portions thereof are pressed up by the shoulders, thus slightlydistorting the second plate and causing it to grip against the firstplate.

10. A folding camera stand adapted to be used also as a Walking stick,and comprising a handle of crook-shape, legs with means attaching themthereto in such manner that they can be opened out when required, orkept closed together, and an attachment adapted to fit on the crookhandle and to carry the camera thereon, said attachment comprising aplate with an undercut transverse slot in the face thereof, the

spring pressing it upward so as to project slightly through an openingin the base of the grooved portion of said plate, said rounded memberbeing adapted to engage w Copies of this patent may be obtained for in arecess in a corresponding position in the slide, and thus to hold saidslide When inserted, and means for clamping said plate in any desiredposition on the crook-shaped. x handle portion of the device.

11. A folding camera stand, comprising a stem portlon formed as ahandle, and means for supporting a camera in any'angw lar position,thereon, a leg rigid/With said stern, and a plurality of other legs withhinges therefor connecting-them to the said stem in such manner thatthey canbe'opened' out for use, or folded together.

12. As an article of manufacture, the attaehment comprising the plates pand g, means pivotally connecting the same, theframe '2), and means for:clamping the same five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ofPatents, Washingtoml). G.

